Alibaba Cloud Container Service for Kubernetes (ACK) is a fully managed Kubernetes service that simplifies container orchestration on Alibaba Cloud. ACK provides enterprise-grade Kubernetes clusters with integrated Alibaba Cloud services, making it an ideal platform for running containerized applications in production environments.

ACK Deployment Models

Alibaba Cloud offers three main ACK deployment options:

1. Managed Kubernetes

• Fully managed control plane by Alibaba Cloud
• Automated patching and upgrades
• High availability built-in
• Ideal for production workloads

2. Dedicated Kubernetes

• Dedicated control plane for enhanced isolation
• Customizable control plane components
• Suitable for compliance-sensitive environments
• Higher cost but maximum control

3. Serverless Kubernetes (ASK)

• No need to manage nodes or clusters
• Pay-per-use pricing model
• Instant scaling to zero
• Perfect for bursty workloads

Key Features of ACK

Integrated Alibaba Cloud Services

ACK seamlessly integrates with other Alibaba Cloud services:

• SLB Integration: Automatic load balancer provisioning
• OSS Volume Support: Persistent storage for containers
• VPC Networking: Secure network isolation
• RAM Integration: Fine-grained access control

Advanced Networking

• Terway Network Plugin: High-performance container networking
• Service Mesh Support: Integrated with ASM (Alibaba Cloud Service Mesh)
• Network Policies: Kubernetes network policy enforcement
• Multi-Zone Deployment: Cross-AZ high availability

Security Features

• Workload Identity: RAM roles for pods
• Image Security: Container image scanning
• Network Isolation: VPC and security group integration
• Audit Logging: Comprehensive activity tracking

Getting Started with ACK

Creating Your First Cluster

# Create a basic managed Kubernetes cluster
aliyun cs POST /clusters --body '
{
  "name": "my-ack-cluster",
  "cluster_type": "ManagedKubernetes",
  "region_id": "cn-hangzhou",
  "vpcid": "vpc-xxxxxxx",
  "vswitch_ids": ["vsw-xxxxxxx"],
  "master_instance_types": ["ecs.g6.large"],
  "worker_instance_types": ["ecs.g6.large"],
  "num_of_nodes": 3,
  "login_password": "YourSecurePassword123",
  "pod_cidr": "172.20.0.0/16",
  "service_cidr": "172.21.0.0/20"
}'

Deploying Applications

Use standard Kubernetes manifests with Alibaba Cloud integrations:

apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: nginx-deployment
spec:
  replicas: 3
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: nginx
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: nginx
    spec:
      containers:
      - name: nginx
        image: nginx:1.25
        ports:
        - containerPort: 80
        volumeMounts:
        - name: oss-storage
          mountPath: /usr/share/nginx/html
      volumes:
      - name: oss-storage
        flexVolume:
          driver: "alicloud/oss"
          options:
            bucket: "my-oss-bucket"
---
apiVersion: v1
kind: Service
metadata:
  name: nginx-service
  annotations:
    service.beta.kubernetes.io/alibaba-cloud-loadbalancer-address-type: "intranet"
spec:
  selector:
    app: nginx
  ports:
    - protocol: TCP
      port: 80
      targetPort: 80
  type: LoadBalancer

ACK Best Practices

Cluster Design

1. Multi-AZ Deployment: Spread nodes across availability zones
2. Node Pool Strategy: Use separate node pools for different workload types
3. Resource Quotas: Implement namespace quotas and limits
4. Backup Strategy: Regular etcd backups and application data backups

Security Practices

1. RAM Roles for ServiceAccounts: Avoid using Access Keys in pods
2. Network Policies: Restrict pod-to-pod communication
3. Image Security: Scan container images for vulnerabilities
4. Audit Logging: Enable and monitor Kubernetes audit logs

Cost Optimization

1. Node Auto-scaling: Use cluster autoscaler for dynamic scaling
2. Spot Instances: Utilize spot instances for fault-tolerant workloads
3. Resource Requests: Set appropriate resource requests and limits
4. Storage Optimization: Choose appropriate storage classes

Monitoring and Logging

Integrated Monitoring

• CloudMonitor Integration: Native metrics collection
• Prometheus Support: Managed Prometheus service
• Custom Metrics: Support for custom metrics and alerts

Log Management

• Log Service Integration: Centralized log collection
• Application Logs: Container stdout/stderr logging
• Audit Logs: Kubernetes API server audit trails

Advanced Use Cases

GitOps with ACK

Implement GitOps workflows using:

• ArgoCD or FluxCD for continuous deployment
• Alibaba Cloud Container Registry for image storage
• RAM policies for secure GitOps operations

Multi-Cluster Management

• ACK One: Multi-cluster management platform
• Federation: Cross-cluster application deployment
• Disaster Recovery: Multi-region cluster strategies

Service Mesh Integration

• ASM (Alibaba Cloud Service Mesh): Managed Istio service
• Traffic Management: Advanced routing and canary deployments
• Observability: Enhanced monitoring with service mesh

Conclusion

Alibaba Cloud Container Service for Kubernetes (ACK) provides a robust, enterprise-ready platform for running containerized workloads. With deep integration into Alibaba Cloud’s ecosystem, advanced networking capabilities, and comprehensive security features, ACK enables organizations to build and scale modern applications efficiently.

Whether you’re running traditional microservices or cutting-edge cloud-native applications, ACK offers the flexibility, reliability, and performance needed for production environments while reducing the operational overhead of managing Kubernetes infrastructure.

Original article: Alibaba Cloud ACK Documentation.